Oil burner



y 2,1940. c. E. swALLow 2,206,241

OIL BURNER Filed lla rch 4, 1939 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 a a i3 1 T A Tlnveniof: Charles 4E.Swc| I low bym kfMAn v ys.

Patented July 2, 1940 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE on. some Charles E.Swallow, Worcester, Mass. Application March 4, 1939, Serial No. 259,812

Claims.

This invention relates to oil burners and especially to oilburnersadapted to burn heavy industrial oil.

Heavy industrial -oil frequently contains 5 particles of carbon andother semi-solids which are liable to clog a valve or a burner when setto burn such oil in small quantities, and this inakes it difiicult touse heavy industrial oil in a burner where theconditions are such thatonly small quantities of oil are required.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a novel oil burnerwhich is well adapted to burn efiiciently heavy industrial oil inrelatively small quantities, and which is so C011? structed as toprovide-a free flow of such heavy industrial oil even when the oil isbeing consumed in the burner in relatively small;

quantities. a p A further object of the invention is to provide no aburner of this type which has a gravity feed of oil to the burner andwhich can be successfullyoperated with a relatively low air pressure foratomizing the oil at the burner. Further objects of the invention areto. proat vide a novel burner which is constructed so that. the fuelmixture, that-is, the mixture of oil' and air, can be variedindependently of the volume of the mixture, so that when the correctmixture has once beenestablished, the volume of 80 the flame can beincreased or decreased without changing the proportions of the mixture.

Further objects" of the invention are to improve oil burners in variousparticulars which will be hereinafter set .forth. an -'Zlnthe drawings:h

Fig. 1 is adiagrammatic view showing a layout for a group ofoilburnersto be supplied from a.central supply tank; g

Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing one of the m burners and its supplyreservoir; k

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33, Fig. 2 with the float valve and oilcirculating pipe shownin plan:

Fig. 4 law end view of "thevalve for controllas ing the supply of oilto'the' reservoir chainbenl FlgQIi-is a section on the line B-E'Fig. 6;Fig. 6 is a section through the valve on'the line M, Fig. 5. l

Referring first to Fig. 2 wherein I have shown so one oil burner and itssupply reservoir, I indicates generally the burner nozzle and 2 in-.dicates the supply reservoir which supplies oil .'totheburnerl. a V aThe reservoir 2 is formed with an open-topped ll reservoir chamber!containing oil 4 which is to be supplied to the burner, said chamber 3being connected to the burner I through the supply pipe 5.

The reservoir 2'is a jacketed reservoir, it being provided with a jacketchamber 6 which sur- I rounds the oil-containing chamber 4 and throughwhich heated oil is continually circulated, said jacket chamber havinga. supply pipe 1 leading thereinto at one end of the reservoir and adischarge pipe 8 leading therefrom at the other 10 end of the reservoir.Suitable means, such, for instance, as a pump,"presently to bedescribed. are provided to circulate the heated oil through the pipe 'I,jacket'chamber 6 and pipe 8. As a result, the oil 4 (which may be heavyindustrial 1 oil) in the reservoir chamber 3 is kept warm, and thus in afree-flowing condition. The

' heated ,oil is supplied to the chamber 3 directly from the jacketchamber 6 through a port formed in the partition wall separating theoilcontaining chamber 3 fromthe jacket chamber 5, and means are providedfor maintaining a constant oil level in the chamber 3, such means'operating to admit additional oil to the cham- 'with the jacket chamber8 and a discharge passage l I] leading to a-discharge pipe12-throughwhich oil is delivered to the chamber 3. The

1 flow of. oil through the port Ill and the discha e e H is'ccntrolledby a sliding valv l3 $0 which operates in a valve chamber it formed inthe casing 9, said valve having a face i5 adapted to seatagainst a valveseat It thereby to close the'communication through the ports Ill and H.

This valve is provided with a valve stem I! which lsfconnected to onearm l8 of an actuating lever l3 that is pivoted to the valve casing bymeans of, a pin 20, said lever carrying at its outer end a float 2|. Theupper end of the arm I801 the lever I9 is shown as-forkedand this forkembraces a collar 22 which is formed with an annular groove to receivethe, ends 23 of the forked arm l3, said ends 23 being confined betweenthe/flanges 24 of said collar 22.

The rising and falling movement of the float 2| will thus shift thevalve, l3 longitudinally.

In order to provide an oil flow in the form bf a solid stream. when thevalve is only slightly open, said valve member i3 is formed with anextension 25 which fits the duct l3 and which is provided with aV-shaped groove 23 having a progressively decreasing depth from the freeY end of the extension 25 to the opposite end thereof where it meets theface II of the valve.

In Fig. 2, the oil level is shown at its maximum height in the chamber 3and' the valve is closed. When the oil level in the chamber 3 falls andthe float 2|v moves downwardly, such downward movement will shift thevalve |3 to the right, thereby separating theiace I! from the seat |3and at the same time bringing the small end of the groove 23 intocommunication with the discharge port II. There will then be a smallflow of oil in the form of a stream passing through the small end of thegroove 23, and

because the oil is flowing in the form of a solid stream, there is verylittle likelihood that the passage through the valve will become cloggedby any small particles of carbon or other semisolid matter which is sofrequently found in heavy industrial oil.

When the oil level in the reservoir 3 has again risen to the point shownin Fig. 2. the valve will be closed, thereby shutting all further flowof oil.

The oil burner comprises a housing member 21 having an oil duct 23communicating with the supply pipe 5, said duct leading to an oildischarge tube or nozzle 23 through which the oil is delivered. Thishousing 21 also containsan air chamber 33 to which air under the desiredpressure is supplied through an air pipe iii.

The burner also is formed with an air 'dis charge passage 32communicating at one end by suction from the reservoir 3 but it also atomizes the oil and thus delivers it in the form of a fine spray.

The passage 32 is controlled .by a suitable-valve 4| which regulatestheamount of air that can pass through the passage. This valve is, shownas. having a valve stem 42 which is screw-threaded through the valvecasing 21 and is provided with a handle. 43 by which it may bemanipulated. Theadjustment of the valve 4| determines the character ofthe fuel mixture.

The burner |,is provided with'an annular air discharge orifice 35surrounding the passage 32, and which communicates with the air chamber33 so that an annular. sheet-of air will be delivered into the atomizedspray of oil for the purpose of properly supporting combustion. Thisannular air discharge orifice or passage 35 isformed between a cap 33which is screw-th eaded to the housing 21 and a collar 31 which ismounted on the nozzle extension 33 of the housing 21. The collar 31 hasa conical exterior and the cap 33 is formed with an opening in its endthrough which the collar extends. the wall of the opening forming withthe collar the air discharge orifice 33. The oil deliverytube oratomizing tube" is shown as extending through the .collar 31 and is thuscarried thereby, the inner end of said tube fitting into a plug 33 thatis located in the outer end of the oil passage 23, said plug havin aduct 43 therethrough to-provide a communication between the duct 23 andthe tube 23.

The supply pipe 3| is also provided with a suitable valve 44 to controlthe supply of air to the air chamber 33. I

- The .burner will be somounted or supportedthat the end 34 of theatomizing tube 23 is situated above the normal oil level in thereservoir 3, such level being indicated by the dotted line 45. Since thechamber 3 is an open chamber, the oil 4 therein is subjected toatmospheric pressure only and because the delivery and 34 of theatomizing tube 23 is above the normal oil level, it will be impossiblefor the burner to over fiow when it is not in operation.

The. control of the burner is accomplished en-.- tirely by controllingtheflow of air to the burner and without the necessity of controlling inany, way the flow of oil except to see that there is a constantcirculation of oil through the Jacket chamber 3. Thevalve 4| serves tovcontrol the mixture of air. and oil and by means of it, the correctmixture is obtained. The valve 44 serves to control the volume of themixture which is delivered from the burner and-hence the volume or sizeof the flame. After the correct mixture has once been established bymanipulation of the valve 4|, then thereafter the operation of theburner-may be controlled entirely by manipulating the valve 44. As longas air is being supplied to' the air chamber 33, there will be a flow ofair through the passage 32,and across the end 3 4 oi the atomizing tube23, thereby producing a suction at the end of the tube which will causedelivery of the oil therefrom, such oil being atomized by the flow ofair.

There will aIsor -be a flow of air through the tinued flow of oil and no'pos'sibilityof an over-' flow when the burner is not in operation.

. The collar 31 is shown as secured to theextension 33 by means of a setscrew- 43 and this construction provides means for adjusting the collar,if adjustment is necessary.

I have above described a single burner and its supply reservoir. In Fig.1 I have illustrated a schematic layout for agroup of burners suppliedwith oil from the same source. In the diagram: matic view of .Fig. 1,a'plurality of burners I are shown, each having its supply reservoir 2.each burner being connected to its reservoir by the pipe connection 3.The jacket chambers of the various supply reservoirs 2 are connected inseries by pipes 1. 43 indicates a supply tank containing oil which is tobe supplied to the various reservoirs 2, and 43 indicates a pumpdesigned to take oil from said reservoir 43 and force it through the,piping system 1 and through the reservoirv jacket chambers '3. The inletof the I pump 43 has connected thereto a pipe 33 which passage 33sufliclent to properly support combusturn pipe ll. tached to the valvecasing and having an aperleads nearly to the bottom of the tank ll asshown at 53, and the discharge port of the pump 49 is connected by apipe ii to a heating reservoir 52 and said reservoir is connected to thepipe system 1. Means are provided for heating the oil in the tank 48 andalso in reservoir 52. This means may be any suitable heating means, andmerely as illustrating one practical heating means, I have shown steamcoils 51 and l, one

placed in the supply tank 48 and the other in.

the reservoir 52. These steam coils are connected by a pipe 54 and maybe supplied with steamrrom any suitable source by means of a pipe 58, 59being anexhaust pipe.

The piping system through which oil is supplied to the jacket chamber 6is provided with a return pipe 8 leading back to the supply tank 48,thus making a closed circulating system. The pump 49, therefore willoperate to circulate the oil through the heater 52 and through thejacket chambers 6 of the various reservoirs, and then back to the supplytank 48, and this oil circulation may continue regardless or whether anyburner is in operation or not.

With the float valve construction shown, each reservoir chamber 3 willreceive oil from its jacket chamber 6, as called for by its burner, foras the oil is withdrawn from any reservoir chamber 3 bythe operation ofthe burner, the corresponding float valve will operate to admit freshoil to the chamber 3 from the jacket. There is,

therefore, no necessity for the manipulation of any valves to controlthe supply of oil to any burner, this being taken care of automaticallyby the float valve construction and by the manua1 manipulation of theair controlling valve 44.

. 5! indicates a back pressure valve in the reil indicates a stop memberatture through which the valve stem extends, said stop member serving tolimit the opening movement of the valve.

The valveis shown as having a guide pin 82 extending therefrom whichoperates in a groove 83 formed in the valve casing, the purpose or thisconstruction being to prevent the valve from turning on its axis and tomaintain the groove or duct It always in position to register withbodiment of the inventiom I-do not wish to be.

the discharge passage II when .the valve is opened.

While I have illustrated'hereln a selected emlimited to the constructionshown.

sis

I claim: 7

1'. A device or the class described comprising a plurality or jacketedsupply reservoirs, each having an oil chamber and a jacket chambersurrounding the oil chamber, means connecting the jacket chambers of thereservoirs in series, means for circulating heated oil through theseveral jacket chambers successively, each reservoir having in its walla port pro a com- .munication between its jacket chamber and its oilchamber through which oil is supplied to the a oil chamber directly fromthe jacket chamber, means controlling each port so as to maintain aconstant oil level in each oil chamber, and a burner element connectedtoand supplied with oil from each oil chamber.

2. An oil burner comprising a supply reservoir presenting anoil-containing chamber surrounded by a jacket chamber, means to maintaincontinuously a circulation of heated oil through the jacket chamber,there being a port in the supply chamber wall which separates theoil-containing chamber from thejack'et chamber, said port pro-,

viding a communication between said chambers through which oil isdelivered directiyfrom the jacket chamber to the oil-containing chamber,

means controlling said port so as to maintain a constant oil level inthe oil-containing chamber,

- a burner element, and means to deliver oil from i the oil-containingchamber to said burner element;

3. An oil burner comprising a supply reservoir presenting anoil-containing chamber surrounded by a jacket chamber, means to maintaincontinuou'sly a circulation of heated oil through the jacket chamber,there being an opening through the wall separating the jacket chamberand the oil-containing chamber through which all may flow directly fromthe jacket chamber to the oil-containing chamber, a float valve in theoil-containing chamber controlling said opening, whereby a constantoil-level is maintained within the oil-containing chamber, a burnerelement, and means to deliver oilfrom the oil-containing chamber to theburner element.

4. An oil burner comprising a supply reservoir having double wallsenclosing an oil-containing chamber, said walls forming between them ato said burner.

5. An oil urner system'comprising a plurality of burners, a plurality oisupply reservoirs, one for each burner, each supply reservoir having anopen oil-containing chamber and a closed jacket supply reservoirs inseries, means for maintainchamber surrounding the oil chamber, meansconnecting the jacket chambers of the various

